Local Fox Reporter Tells Viewers Live on Air Network 'Muzzling' Her, Going to Project Veritas

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Houston, Texas television news reporter Ivory Hecker announced on air that she is sharing secret recordings at her own network with Project Veritas.

Hecker made the unusual announcement during a live broadcast on Fox station KRIV on Monday. While expected to report on a local heatwave, she said that the channel's parent company had been "muzzling" her and other reporters to keep quiet about unspecified "information" before announcing that "behind the scenes" recording would be shared on Tuesday.

"I want to let you, the viewers, know that Fox Corp has been muzzling me to keep certain information from you, the viewers," Hecker said. "And from what I'm gathering I am not the only reporter being subjected to this. I am going to be releasing some recordings about what goes on behind the scenes at Fox because it applies you, the viewers."

"I found a non-profit journalism group called Project Veritas who's going to help put that out tomorrow," she added. "So, tune into them."

The contents of Hecker's purported recordings are unclear, although Project Veritas has previously shared hidden camera videos alleging left-wing media bias. Some critics have accused the group of deceptive editing.

Hecker said that her dispute with Fox "had taken a dark turn last August" after interviewing an unspecified person, in a statement to Newsweek. She said that she was told to keep silent about opposing "censorship" months later.

"They decided they didn't like what the interview subject had said, and they went on to internally harass and defame me," Hecker said. "I knew I was not working for a journalistic organization when I was called into an HR meeting in December and was told to keep my support for free speech and opposition to censorship to myself—that those were not matters to be publicly spoken about."

"True journalism can't exist in an environment of censorship," added Hecker. "True journalism needs an environment of free speech."

On Tuesday, Hecker was fired from KRIV, according to the Daily Beast.

"FOX 26 adheres to the highest editorial standards of accuracy and impartiality. This incident involves nothing more than a disgruntled former employee seeking publicity by promoting a false narrative produced through selective editing and misrepresentation," KRIV told Newsweek. However, the station did not confirm the Beast's report that she had been fired.

A Project Veritas spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that it would be releasing recordings from Hecker on Tuesday night, along with a one-on-one interview with Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe. The spokesperson also said that Hecker's remarks during Monday's broadcast were true.

Earlier this year, Project Veritas released a series of secretly recorded videos featuring CNN employee Charlie Chester, who the group said was a technical director at the network. The videos showed Chester saying that the network promotes "propaganda" and expressing doubts that former President Donald Trump would have lost the 2020 presidential election if not for its coverage.

Newsweek reached out to KRIV for comment.